Fruit-box.



I. N. HAGUE. FRUIT BOX. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1908.

Patented June 15, 1909.

umlll'lllllll'llll] WITNESS: H JI NVEN'IOR 771 627/631 ATTORNEY areISAAC N. HAGUE, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

FRUIT-B OX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Isaac N. HAGUE, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Tacoma, in the count-y of Pierce and State of\Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit- Boxcs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to fruit boxes used in packing of berries andother small fruits for shipment and marketing.

The objects of my invention are; first, to manufacture fruit boxes thatcan be shipped from the factory in a flat knockdown form to the fruitgrower, who can then set the boxes up and put them together as neededwithout the use of tools or staples; second, to produce a fruit boxhaving a smooth bottom made of one piece of wood in which there are nojoints or edges to out and cause the fruit to bleed; and third, toproduce metallic attachmonts whereby the bottom may be inserted andfastened within a fruit box without the use of staples. I attain theseobjects by means of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawingsin which Figure 1 is a view of my invention showing a fruit box made andset up with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a view of the box sides partlyflattened showing how it may be packed flat for shipment from thefactory. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the bottom piece of the box madewith my improvement. Fig. i is an enlarged section AA showing the formof the metallic attachment whereby the bottom is held in place withoutthe use of staples.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

In my invention the sides of the fruit box are made in the usual mannerwith one piece of thin box veneer BB scored at the corners CO so as tobend squarely, and bound together by means of the staples DD, all ofwhich is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I-Ieretofore the bottom has beenattached to the sides of the box by means of staples or other methodsthat are more tedious in manufacture and cumbersome in packing. By myinvention I secure a more simple and eco- Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed. November 10, 1908.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Serial No. 461,945.

nomical construction and require less space when packed in theknock-down form. The bottom is formed of one piece as shown in Fig. 3,the same being scored at EE so as to bend up squarely at the ends to thetop edges of the box sides. The upper edges of the folding end portionsof the bottom memher are provided with a metallic strip F covering theedge and substantially of the width of the end and side wall members.This strip is applied so that one side thereof will lie inside of thebox and the other side will lie between the bent up end portion and theside wall member of the box thus stiffening and protecting both the bentup end portion and also the adjacent side wall member along their topedges. This makes an unusually strong box and gives to the side wallme1nbers and to the bent up end portions of the box rigidity andstrength which is so desirable in boxes made of comparatively thinflexible material. The strip not only pro teots the edge of the bent upend portions but also protects the edge of the side wall membersadjacent thereto throughout the width of both members as the stripextends parallel with the edges of both members. The outer sides of thestrips are slitted so as to form clips G which will overlap the topedges of the adjacent side wall members and serve to hold the endmembers in engagement with the side wall members, said clips preferablybeing formed one near each end of the strip. The setting up of the boxis done by hand, no tools or staples being required. The box is madecomplete at the factory and the fruit grower only has to set it up andput it together as described. The box thus constructed has a smoothbottom and interior free of edges that will bruise the fruit and causeit to bleed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent is A box consisting of folding side wallmembers, and a separate bottom portion adapted to fit between the sidewall members and having folding end members adapted to bear against theinner face of the side wall members, the upper ends of said end membersbeing substantially the Width of the side 1 being formed with clipsoverlapping the side Wall members against which they bear and Wellmembers, substantially as described. 10 provided along their top edgeswith metallic In testimony whereof I atlix my signature strips one sideof which lies inside of the be): in presence of two Witnesses.

and the other side between the end members ISAAC N. IlAflUE.

and the adjacent side Wall members so as to lVitnesses:

stiffen and protect the edges of both the end L. H. SPENCER,

members and side Wall members, said strips H. P. PRATT.

